Published 4:00 am, Friday, June 19, 1998

Tailored for those who complain that African American films are often too violent or sexually explicit, "Hav Plenty" harks back to a different temperament with considerable charm.

But despite a nice try at creating old-fashioned, flirty ambience with soul, this new romantic comedy, opening today at the Lumiere and other Bay Area theaters, is slight and predictable.

Christopher Scott Cherot wrote, directed and stars in "Hav Plenty" -- his feature debut in all three categories. He plays Lee Plenty, a laid- back, aspiring novelist (the self-canceling characterization is part of the movie's fun).

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On an otherwise aimless New Year's weekend in Manhattan, Lee is invited by a longtime friend, Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell), a supercharged corporate executive type, to visit her at her family's luxurious home in Washington, D.C.

Battling boredom and writer's block, Lee accepts the invitation as a welcome change of scene. But he and "Hav" (her nickname) soon are at odds. Lee's easygoing style doesn't fit structured situations, and Hav is a control freak. Rich and strikingly pretty, her only vulnerability seems to be an on-again, off-again romance with a hot young rap artist who hurts her repeatedly with infidelities.

Hav is the only woman within miles not turned on by Lee's sexy charm -- her friend Caroline (Tammi Jones) immediately makes a major play for him, as do other women. He handles them coyly with declarations of celibacy. For reasons she can't figure out, Hav grows increasingly annoyed with him for being a bump on a log. Viewers will spot the sparks-flying, it-must-be-love setup a mile away. And most would probably be eyeing the exit sign were it not for Cherot's attractive screen presence. Eschewing Hav's high-fashion style in favor of T-shirts and baggy jeans, Lee is a likable teddy bear exuding off-the-wall playfulness and a disarming laugh.

Maxwell's character doesn't hold up as well -- sultry as she tries to be, she comes across as a bit arch and icy. This is no help when the script -- peppered with clever lines -- is nudging the action toward warm romance.

The film also was shot indoors, and it gets a touch claustrophobic. "Hav Plenty" is the sort of shoestring-budget independent that showcases talent in promising development -- one hopes that the abundantly talented Cherot will be back with more to offer next time.